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For now, it’s enough.
“Thanks for doing this,” I say to Annabel as she pulls up outside of the Town Hall.
“Of course. Although I still don’t know what you think you’ll find here that you can’t find on the internet.” She shrugs.
“I already told you.
The professor encouraged us to go straight to the source. Everyone knows the town archives are kept here.” I stare up at the big, imposing building. It’s old, like Gravestone Hall, and steeped in shadows. They dance over the huge limestone bricks like monsters in the dark. But I don’t let it faze me. I’ve been here hundreds of times with my dad. He used to bring me along when I was a little girl, and I’d spend hours nestled among the artifacts in the museum section of the building.
I haven’t been here for a long time though. My dad stopped bringing me once I started middle school.
“Do you want me to wait?” Annabel asks. “I can.”
“No, it’s fine.” I grab my backpack from between my feet. “Dad will give me a ride back if he’s on shift.” He usually is. He’s given his life to working security for Phillip Cargill and the mayor’s office.
“Okay then, if you’re sure. I’m going to swing by my parents’ and then see if Jared wants to hang out.”
“You decided to give it another shot, after all?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. It was one date. I need to give it some time. Who knows, he could be my frog turned prince once we kiss.” Her soft laughter fills the car.
“I’m happy for you, Bel. I know I haven’t always been a good friend, but I’m here for you.”
“I know.” Something flashes over her face. “Say hi to your dad for me.”
I nod before climbing out of her car. The shadows envelop me as I approach the Town Hall. It’s fifty minutes before it closes to the public, but I don’t plan on leaving with the other people here.
My heart crashes in my chest as I approach the steps leading to the impressive doors. The town’s motto is etched into the stone arch. Audentes fortuna iuvat. Fortune favors the bold.
Let’s hope fortune favors me tonight.
Taking a deep breath, I pull up my hood and slip into the building. A security guy is busy on his phone behind the desk, so I take a left down the hall and head for the town archives. Like most places, a section is open to the public, but it’s not those I’m interested in.
I keep my head down. There’s CCTV all over this building, but I think I can remember the blind spots. Hopefully.
The archive room is down a level, so I take the stairwell. The slam of the door echoes off the walls as I descend to the basement. The air is musty down here, and I hurry.
I’m hardly surprised when I enter the room to find it empty save for the archivist. She’s an older woman, perched behind a curved desk tucked in one corner of the room. She glances up and I smile. “Something I can help you with dear?”
“Just here to look up some things for an assignment.”
“Well, if I can help you with anything, just shout.”
“Thanks.” I move deeper into the room. It’s a long rectangle that runs the length of the building above. One wall is lined with display cabinets, housing various artifacts and charters from the town’s history. The rest of the room is split into two sections: a lower level with rows of study desks and computers, with the records and archive stacks on a raised platform. My dad told me once that it was a precaution in case of flooding.
I disappear into the stacks, running my eyes over the various coding markers. In high school, we visited the Town Hall once for a tour, and the archivist gave us a lesson in reading the different codings. But Annabel is right; a lot of the information can be accessed online now.
Coming to stop in front of the sealed archives, my heart drops. Everything is different since I last came here. The padlock has been upgraded to a keycard mechanism. Crap. I had planned to pick the lock, but there’s no way I can get inside now. Not without a security pass.
As I’m staring at the founding family records, an idea pops into my mind. My dad’s pass. If I can lift my dad’s pass, I can use it to get inside. But it’s my dad. I don’t want to get him in trouble… and I don’t want him to find out what I’m doing.
Crap.
Defeated, I double back and make my way out of the archive room. The archivist gives me a small wave as I pass her. “Did you find everything you need, dear?”
“Yes, thank you,” I say before slipping into the elevator.
When it pings open again, I come face to face with the security guy.
